What’s Happening in Entertainment: Ringside Report Looks Back at the 2019 Year of Entertainment & Remembers the Stars We Lost

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By Geoffrey Huchel

As 2019 comes to an end, Ringside Report looks back at some of the highlights from the past year in popular culture.

There have been some major milestones in film that were celebrated throughout the year. Most notably, while honoring the films from the greatest year in cinema- 1939- two of the year’s most popular films celebrated their 80th Anniversaries: The Oscar winning Civil War epic GONE WITH THE WIND and the beloved musical fantasy THE WIZARD OF OZ. Both films, which have endured to become true classics and fan favorites are both periodically seen on television and appear on the American Film Institute’s list of the Top 100 American Films.

Just as 1939 had GWTW and OZ, 2019 had its fair share of top movies, including AVENGERS: END GAME, STAR WARS: EPISODE IX THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, FROZEN II, ONCE UPON A TIME IN…HOLLYWOOD, THE IRISHMAN, JOKER, KNIVES OUT, MARRIAGE STORY, THE LIGHTHOUSE, IT: CHAPTER 2, HUSTLERS, TOY STORY 4, and ROCKETMAN.

The world of television also recognized some iconic television series celebrating milestones. FRIENDS, the mega popular hit series whose characters will always be there for you celebrated the 25th anniversary of its release in September of 1994. During its ten seasons run, the show was always at the top of the ratings and remains just as popular today. THE BRADY BUNCH, the show that became a pop culture phenomenon never went off the air since its cancellation in 1974.

To commemorate the event, the 6 Brady “kids” reunited to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its release in September of 1969. The former child stars participated in HGTV’s A VERY BRADY RENOVATION, where they renovated the interior of the house that was used for exterior shots, to look exactly like it did on the Paramount Studios set. The special was an instant hit and gave HGTV their highest rated premiere to date.

Also, this year in television, fans said goodbye to the mega popular HBO series GAME OF THRONES, after 8 amazing seasons. HBO released the much anticipated second (and final) season of BIG LITTLE LIES. Netflix released several original series that have become instant hits, such as DEAD TO ME, WHEN THEY SEE US, THE WITCHER, RUSSIAN DOLL, LIVING WITH YOURSELF and THE POLITICIAN. The streaming service also brought us another exciting season of STRANGER THINGS. In addition to GAME OF THRONES and BIG LITTLE LIES, we said goodbye to these shows in 2019: THE BIG BANG THEORY, VEEP, JANE THE VIRGIN, JESSICA JONES, UNBREAKABLE KIMMY SCHMIDT, THE AFFAIR, GOTHAM, SANTA CLARITA DIET, INTO THE BADLANDS, LIFE IN PIECES, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK, MR. ROBOT, ELEMENTARY and POWER.

Earlier this year, the TV, film and comic book worlds turned on the bat signal in celebration of the Caped Crusader’s 80th birthday! Batman first glided into Gotham City in Detective Comics #26 in 1939. The superhero’s crime-fighting adventures were featured in many forms of media from books to television and eventually the big screen.

A year in review wouldn’t be complete without remembering those who are no longer with us. The people we grew up with, respected and were inspired by: Luke Perry, Peter Fonda, Carol Channing, Robert Forster, Diahann Carroll, Caroll Spinney, Anna Karina, Karl Lagerfeld, Valerie Harper, Laurel Griggs, Peggy Lipton, Toni Morrison, Cameron Boyce, Ron Leibman, Gene Okerlund, Rip Torn, Kevin Barnett, James Ingram, Kristoff St. John, Albert Finney, Doris Day, Russi Taylor, Peter Tork, Katherine Helmond, Nathaniel Taylor, Georgia Engel, Denise Nickerson, David Hedison, Art Neville, Peter Mayhew, John Singleton, Tim Conway, Gloria Vanderbilt, Beth Chapman, Stephanie Niznik, Pernell Whitaker, Rutger Hauer, Carol Lynley, Eddie Money, Ric Ocasek, Shelley Morrison, Sue Lyon, Lee Mendelson and Don Imus.

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